There is an ever increasing demand for low cost, high volume solutions for lens assemblies with adjustable focal length. Modern mobile phones, for example, are now equipped with miniature digital camera modules and the quality and cost demands for lenses and lens assemblies are increasing. More and more miniature cameras used in mobile phones and laptop computers have auto focus functionality. The design of lens systems for such applications requires fulfillment of a large number of requirements, from production standards to ease of operation when fitting the lens on top of a camera module. These challenges are even greater when the lens arrangement comprises tuneable parameters, such as encountered in auto focus lenses, wherein the focal length must be adjusted, for example, to fit the distance from the lens to the object to be photographed. Such lenses are usually complex designs comprising movable parts that can make it difficult to assemble the lens in a simple manner. A further challenge with such designs is the ever increasing requirements to provide suitable lens assemblies for such use.
There exist a number of solutions for making compact auto focus lens elements.
One of the problem of current solutions is how to provide a robust tuneable microlens which may be manufactured in a relatively efficient manner, yet provides good optical properties.
Hence, an improved tunable microlens would be advantageous, and in particular a tunable microlens which may be manufactured in a more efficient manner, and which may be more robust and/or more reliable would be advantageous.